News

Georgia Man Electrocuted by Downed Power Line, More Than 400,000 Remain in the Dark as Winter Storm Benji Targets Northeast

By Sean Breslin and Pam Wright

December 09 2017 08:00 AM EDT

weather.com

01:07

Polar Vortex Might Weaken Soon, and That Could Unleash a Colder January

The polar vortex is forecast to weaken soon, and that could signal a colder and snowier January in the United States after a relatively mild December.

At a Glance

Winter Storm Benji dumped inches of snow on parts of the South, making travel difficult.

Schools were canceled Friday and residents were urged to stay home.

Nearly 300,000 homes and businesses remain without power in the wake of the winter storm.

A Georgia man was electrocuted by downed power line.

A Georgia man has died after being electrocuted by a downed power line after Winter Storm Benji dumped heavy snow across the Deep South Friday into Saturday, Atlanta firefighters say.

According to the Associated Press, the unidentified man was found in a roadway near a live wire.

The winter storm delivered a rare shot of decent snow the region doesn't usually see in early December. But the wintry menace also hindered travel and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, making for a highly uncomfortable and frustrating end to the week.

Early Friday morning, thundersnow was reported in some parts of southern Texas and even in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the system brought bursts of snow that were heavy at times. Farther east, heavy snow fell in cities like Jackson, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama, and the northern suburbs of Atlanta.

Metro Atlanta experienced another traffic nightmare Friday afternoon as many businesses and schools let out employees and students at virtually the same time citywide. It was a scene similar to that of a snow and ice event in January 2014, when drivers spent upwards of 12 hours stuck in traffic before abandoning their cars to walk or sleep overnight in stores or hotels.

The snow also had an impact on power – over 400,000 homes and businesses were without electricity in North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia combined as of Saturday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.

Texas

Accumulating snow was reported as far south as Brownsville Friday morning as southeastern Texas enjoyed a rare snowfall from Benji. In the Houston area, several school districts delayed opening because of road conditions, according to the Houston Chronicle.

"We're experiencing delays with bus transportation due to weather, traffic, and staffing," Houston ISD said in a release sent Friday morning. "School leaders most impacted have been contacted, but this will be a district-wide problem. We also urge parents whose student rides the bus to make sure they're bundled up and to be patient as we work to get every bus rider to school safely. The safety of our students is our top priority, especially in unusual conditions such as those around the city today."

Nearly 50,000 customers were without power in the Lone Star State Friday morning.

Louisiana

Multiple school districts in southeastern Louisiana canceled classes Friday, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, as Benji's snow became problematic for travelers across the region. Nearly 60,000 homes and businesses across the state were still in the dark on Saturday morning.

A stretch of U.S. 90 was closed in both directions from Amelia to Gray late Friday morning because of ice on the roadway, the Times-Picayune also said. The closure impacted a stretch of the highway about 20 miles long in southern Louisiana.

Snow flurries fell in New Orleans during the afternoon hours, providing a rare wintry scene for the Big Easy. On the 24-mile causeway bridge that spans Lake Pontchartrain, police aided drivers via slow-moving convoys on the slick roadway, according to the Associated Press.

"Hopefully, the only people on the roads are the ones who have to be out today," Dexter Accardo of the St. Tammany Parish government told the Times-Picayune. "We're advising everyone to stay off the roads if they can."

Mississippi

Roads became troublesome in areas and more than 80,000 homes and businesses lost power in southern parts of the state as Benji dumped several inches of snow Friday morning.

Parts of southern Mississippi received up to a half-foot of snow, making Benji one of the biggest snowstorms to hit the area since records began, according to the National Weather Service.

In Jackson, several schools were canceled Friday; WAPT.com has a complete list. Despite the headaches, many Mississippians were grateful that it wasn't a different kind of wintry precipitation for once.

Alabama

Residents were urged to stay home in northern Alabama as Benji turned roads dangerous. AL.com reported numerous crashes on Interstate 65 Friday morning, and meteorologists said street conditions were worsening as the morning went on.

Reports from the NWS mid-morning Friday said all city roads were closed in Talladega, and some streets in Anniston were becoming impassable, with multiple wrecks reported.

Georgia

More than 700 flights were canceled into and out of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport – making up more than 70 percent of all domestic cancellations – as Benji made travel treacherous in North Georgia on Friday.

Although many roads in the Atlanta area were pretreated with a brine solution, the slushy roads were packed midday with drivers looking to get home and beat the rush. Schools in the metro Atlanta area dismissed students early and thousands of residents hit the streets at the same time, creating another gridlock situation.

"We're surprised that this little snowfall would cause this much disruption to the entire city," Lucas Rachow told the AP while trying to get a ride to the airport.

Nearly 200,000 homes and businesses were without power as of Saturday morning.

North Carolina

With some of the South's biggest snow totals expected to fall in western and northern North Carolina, officials were taking no chances with travel – not even the state's leader.

Gov. Roy Cooper postponed two events because of Benji, one in Waynesville and one in Asheville, where he was scheduled to appear, according to the AP. Those events will be rescheduled after the storm wraps up, the report added.

Nearly 60,000 homes and businesses were without power statewide Saturday morning because of the winter storm.

Many schools in and around the Asheville area were closed Friday; the Asheville Citizen-Times has a complete list.

A woman holds an umbrella in the snow near Central Park on December 9, 2017 in New York City. The area is expected to see 3-6 inches of snow in the first snowfall of the season. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.